Seltsi liikmetele

About Us

INTRODUCTION

The Folk Dance Society Pääsuke consists of two mixed groups, three female groups and a childrens group located inViimsi School. Our goal is to preserve the essence, basic movements and schemes of traditional dances.

We dance two kinds of dances: 1) traditional dances and original arrangements by authorssuch as K.Torop, K.Järvela, R.Zubko; 2) dances by various choreographers, as well as dance festival repertory. To accompany the traditional dances, we mostly use live music and newer folkmusic for the author dances.

Dance lessons are 1-2 hours long and take place twice a week from September to May. During the lessons we develop technical dance skills, learn to control our bodies and feel the joy of movement. Trainings consist of four parts: a warm-up that is based on contemporary dance technics, main steps and movements, learning the repertory and muscle training with stretching.

Every year in August we have a dance camp in Käina, Hiiumaa. Besides dancing, we also like to celebrate Christmas together. Each group also has its own traditions, for example some groups come together to celebrate birthdays of their members.

During the summer we often perform in the Estonian Open Air Museum, House of Blackheads, and take part in domestic and foreign dance festivals, where we have met a lot of friendly collectives from Estonia and other countries. Every 5 years a big Nation-wide jubilee concert is organized and we dance and celebrate with all of our members and friends.

During performances we wear authentic and festive folk costumes. Women wear costumes from Muhu, Kihelkonna and Pühalepa. Men wear costumes from Hiiumaa and prehistoric Estonian costumes. Every year with the help of Cultural Endowment of Estonia we try to complement and renew our costumes.

HISTORY

1979 – the first female group was formed by teacher Jekaterina Lebedeva.

1985 – a new teacher Diana Otsing took over the group and led them for the following 17 years. In 1994 Pääsuke continued as a mixed group, but every once in a while some female dances were danced as well.

2003 – Katrin Krause took over the group and by that time Pääsuke had both female and mixed groups. In 2005 an additional female groupwas created and is now the younger womens group.

2009 – Rauno Zubko took over the mixed and female groups. Katrin continued with younger women.

2012 – Pääsuke had female group (two staff, second staff was established 2011), younger female group, younger mixed group and mixed group. At the same time Anli Soosaar started teaching a childrens group in Viimsi School.

2012 – Folk Dance Society Pääsuke officially chose Rauno Zubko to be the artistic director with a goal to expand the society even more.